That night, Ferg Wayfinder treats the group to a very nice dinner. Over the meal they tell Ferg the details of their adventures. Ferg tells them that he went to see the Captain of the guards, Captain Coll. Unfortunately, one of the merchants that Malis allegedly attacked, is near death from his injuries, and as such, Malis must remain in jail until the Laird's return.
The books are brought out and discussed, and Khabsha puts forth the idea that the alchemical mixture of Nightfire might be what was implanted inside Laird Jory Talis. When Ferg is told about the trouble with the Storm Crow, and the frame job for the sacking of Wheat Hill, he offers to switch rooms with the party, just in case word arrives from the south and the authorities try to arrest them. He also offers to go to the castle with them on the morrow, since he wants to offer money for Malis's freedom.
Of the supposed Tinkers, Ferg is still unsure whether to do business with them, especially after Graham informs him that the tinker leader was armed with a hidden short sword - something no real tinker would ever carry. They also discuss the dragon sightings, and whether the Dinari might be in league with such a beast. To this, Rowen adds her knowledge of the rumors of Dinari airships, and the possibility that a dragon sighting might instead be an airship sighting.
Despite it all, Ferg is still tempted by the prospect of a profit. He asks Taen if she would scout to the west for the tinker's camp, to see if she can verify their true purpose, in exchange for payment of course.
Taen flies west to scout, and after finding a few hunters, pete cutters and wood cutter's camps, she finds a small sheltered fire with three Tinkers gathered round, the same from the townsquare. There is no sign of tinker wagons, nor of other tinkers or any need for supplies. One plays a southern tin whistle while the others remain silent.
After a while. the leader looks over at the other two and one gets up to patrol the perimeter - also somewhat untinker-like. Of course he doesn't spot Taen, no one ever spots Taen. When he returns to the fire, they finish off their tea and settle into their sleeping sacks, apparently for the night. An hour or two pass and Taen, ever patient, waits to see what else might happen, rightly sensing that something isn't as it seems.
Sure enough, she spies armed soldiers creeping toward the camp. Watching but not getting involved, she watches the men attack, and the tinkers spring from their bedrolls, not nearly as sleepy as they appeared to be. Still, they are outnumbered by larger, armed men. Two of the Dinari escape with soldiers in pursuit, while the third is knocked unconscious by a sword hilt, bound hand and foot and stuffed in a sack.
As the soldiers prepare to leave, she recognizes them as Talis castle guards. A quick search for the other Dinari turns up nothing and she leaves for town.
In the morning, Ferg meets the group at his rooms, reporting that the night went uneventful. He supplies them with a hearty breakfast before joining them to pick up their armor and supplies from the town. Once that's complete, they make their way to Castle Talis.
Passing some more guards on the way to castle without incident, they state their business to the gateman, and are soon led into the keep, where they meet Captain Coll, a square cut fighting man with just the sort of no-nonsense attitude you would expect of castle captain of the guard.
The Captain informs Ferg that his orders haven't changed and no amount of money will get Malis out of jail before the Lord returns from Kaergot. To the party, he expresses his thanks in rescuing his lord and agrees to let them see Wicala Murin, the castle's healer, who has been taking care of Dags.
During this conversation, and perhaps from the very moment the group walked into the castle, Rowen's sword, Hawkwing began a very subtle, constant warning vibration, putting the group on guard against demonic influence, but not pointing out any particular culprit. Neither Khabsha or Cinder's detection spells show any signs of spirits or magic.
Captain Coll introduces Wicala Murin, a young, blonde healer of the Mistress, who leads them to her chambers on the second floor while telling them of Dags McRowd's worsening condition. Apparently he woke briefly after his return from the Shadow Tower, but quickly sank into a worse illness, that even began infecting the servants who were sent to take care of him. Every time the Wicala would heal him, he would get momentarily better, than worsen, to the point where she now fears to try any further healing.
After explaining the risks, she agrees to take Rowen and Khabsha into his tower chamber so they may attempt a more powerful anti-poison spell. Dags indeed looks much worse than last time they saw him. His skin is white, except for angry red blotches at his throat and ears, he is fevered with swollen glands, and unconscious.
Together the two healers work their spells. The magic functions, but Dags doesn't improve.
While they are working, Cinder finds traces of a powerful rune painted onto the archway in the hall. Investigating his books, he learns that it is a secondary warding rune, linked to a more powerful primary rune somewhere nearby. The warding appears to prevent scrying and detection spells within the castle.
When Rowen and Khabsha return with Wical Murin, they wait for the healer to leave before discussing what they found. Before she will let Rowen try a more powerful healing, she wishes to get Master Olifson's approval. Master Olifson is the Seneschal in charge of the castle while the Lord is away. When she leaves to get him, Cinder fills them in on what he found about the rune, explaining that this is probably the cause of Hawkwing's weak and inspecific warning.
Rowen and Khabsha go to meet Master Olifson, an older, well dressed man who decides that before they can attempt the healing, he must send word by Messenger bird to Lord Talis, asking his permission to try the dangerous healing on his friend.
Rowen and Khabsha are led back to the guest chambers and bade to wait, after Master Olifson insists that the group stay for dinner.
Very soon, Master Olifson returns to tell the party that someone has released all the pigeons from the aviary. While he is looking into the matter, he allows Rowen, Khabsha and Cinder to take a tour of the castle, led by his scribe, Kaylin. Graham seeks out some guards to talk with, but is distracted by a pretty servant named Rosy. Taen, who has been posing as a child, takes the opportunity to sneak about the castle.
While on the tour, Rowen, Khabsha and Cinder notice several more secondary runes, but see no master rune. Graham doesn't learn much new from Rosy, but does learn that it is only since the Lord left that the guards have been on an arrest binge. Taen finds the dungeons and finds that they are indeed quite full. She almost gives up on finding the Dinari, but gets lucky and spots some guards leaving a separate smaller dungeon in the outer wall.
Inside, she finds Captain Coll lightly torturing the Dinari, asking him who he really is and what his business in Neued is? The Dinari isn't talking. When the Captain is interrupted to deal with another visitor from town, Taen returns to tell the others what she found.
Master Olifson tells the group that he must carefully consider what to do concerning Dags, before leaving the group to prepare for dinner.
While the group is discussing things, Taen notices a strange delay in Graham's shadow. When she mentions it to Rowen, she quickly casts a light spell and everyone tenses as Graham's shadow separates and flees the room, sliding through the crack in the door.
With this clue in mind, Taen decides to quickly explore the royal quarters, hoping to find the master rune. On her way up the stairs she sees Wicala Murin leaving Dags room with a small box in her hand, and looking suspicious. Taen decides to "shadow" the healer, and watches her enter a small unassuming door in the hallway. Following her further, she sees Murin kneeling by a big black chest in a small storage room.
When Murin begins to leave, Taen quickly flees, and then sees Murin stop in the hallway. A shadow separates from the healer, much like from Graham and flits off down the hall, quickly disappearing. Murin seems to shake her head before walking off in the opposite direction. Storing this tidbit away, Taen returns to her earlier mission.
After picking some locks and sneaking past some guards and servants, Taen finds a secret compartment in Lord Talis' bedchamber, but inside are only precious jewels, which Taen refrains from taking.
On her way back to the guest quarters, Taen checks out the small storage room. She notices a light dusting of powder on the lock to the chest. Gloved, she picks the lock but hears a scritch scratching coming from within and decides not to open it. Searching the rest of the room, she finds a secret door but isn't tall enough to open it. She returns to the others with lots of information.
The scribe, Kaylin, comes to announce that dinner is served in the great hall....
The books are brought out and discussed, and Khabsha puts forth the idea that the alchemical mixture of Nightfire might be what was implanted inside Laird Jory Talis. When Ferg is told about the trouble with the Storm Crow, and the frame job for the sacking of Wheat Hill, he offers to switch rooms with the party, just in case word arrives from the south and the authorities try to arrest them. He also offers to go to the castle with them on the morrow, since he wants to offer money for Malis's freedom.
Of the supposed Tinkers, Ferg is still unsure whether to do business with them, especially after Graham informs him that the tinker leader was armed with a hidden short sword - something no real tinker would ever carry. They also discuss the dragon sightings, and whether the Dinari might be in league with such a beast. To this, Rowen adds her knowledge of the rumors of Dinari airships, and the possibility that a dragon sighting might instead be an airship sighting.
Despite it all, Ferg is still tempted by the prospect of a profit. He asks Taen if she would scout to the west for the tinker's camp, to see if she can verify their true purpose, in exchange for payment of course.
Taen flies west to scout, and after finding a few hunters, pete cutters and wood cutter's camps, she finds a small sheltered fire with three Tinkers gathered round, the same from the townsquare. There is no sign of tinker wagons, nor of other tinkers or any need for supplies. One plays a southern tin whistle while the others remain silent.
After a while. the leader looks over at the other two and one gets up to patrol the perimeter - also somewhat untinker-like. Of course he doesn't spot Taen, no one ever spots Taen. When he returns to the fire, they finish off their tea and settle into their sleeping sacks, apparently for the night. An hour or two pass and Taen, ever patient, waits to see what else might happen, rightly sensing that something isn't as it seems.
Sure enough, she spies armed soldiers creeping toward the camp. Watching but not getting involved, she watches the men attack, and the tinkers spring from their bedrolls, not nearly as sleepy as they appeared to be. Still, they are outnumbered by larger, armed men. Two of the Dinari escape with soldiers in pursuit, while the third is knocked unconscious by a sword hilt, bound hand and foot and stuffed in a sack.
As the soldiers prepare to leave, she recognizes them as Talis castle guards. A quick search for the other Dinari turns up nothing and she leaves for town.
In the morning, Ferg meets the group at his rooms, reporting that the night went uneventful. He supplies them with a hearty breakfast before joining them to pick up their armor and supplies from the town. Once that's complete, they make their way to Castle Talis.
Passing some more guards on the way to castle without incident, they state their business to the gateman, and are soon led into the keep, where they meet Captain Coll, a square cut fighting man with just the sort of no-nonsense attitude you would expect of castle captain of the guard.
The Captain informs Ferg that his orders haven't changed and no amount of money will get Malis out of jail before the Lord returns from Kaergot. To the party, he expresses his thanks in rescuing his lord and agrees to let them see Wicala Murin, the castle's healer, who has been taking care of Dags.
During this conversation, and perhaps from the very moment the group walked into the castle, Rowen's sword, Hawkwing began a very subtle, constant warning vibration, putting the group on guard against demonic influence, but not pointing out any particular culprit. Neither Khabsha or Cinder's detection spells show any signs of spirits or magic.
Captain Coll introduces Wicala Murin, a young, blonde healer of the Mistress, who leads them to her chambers on the second floor while telling them of Dags McRowd's worsening condition. Apparently he woke briefly after his return from the Shadow Tower, but quickly sank into a worse illness, that even began infecting the servants who were sent to take care of him. Every time the Wicala would heal him, he would get momentarily better, than worsen, to the point where she now fears to try any further healing.
After explaining the risks, she agrees to take Rowen and Khabsha into his tower chamber so they may attempt a more powerful anti-poison spell. Dags indeed looks much worse than last time they saw him. His skin is white, except for angry red blotches at his throat and ears, he is fevered with swollen glands, and unconscious.
Together the two healers work their spells. The magic functions, but Dags doesn't improve.
While they are working, Cinder finds traces of a powerful rune painted onto the archway in the hall. Investigating his books, he learns that it is a secondary warding rune, linked to a more powerful primary rune somewhere nearby. The warding appears to prevent scrying and detection spells within the castle.
When Rowen and Khabsha return with Wical Murin, they wait for the healer to leave before discussing what they found. Before she will let Rowen try a more powerful healing, she wishes to get Master Olifson's approval. Master Olifson is the Seneschal in charge of the castle while the Lord is away. When she leaves to get him, Cinder fills them in on what he found about the rune, explaining that this is probably the cause of Hawkwing's weak and inspecific warning.
Rowen and Khabsha go to meet Master Olifson, an older, well dressed man who decides that before they can attempt the healing, he must send word by Messenger bird to Lord Talis, asking his permission to try the dangerous healing on his friend.
Rowen and Khabsha are led back to the guest chambers and bade to wait, after Master Olifson insists that the group stay for dinner.
Very soon, Master Olifson returns to tell the party that someone has released all the pigeons from the aviary. While he is looking into the matter, he allows Rowen, Khabsha and Cinder to take a tour of the castle, led by his scribe, Kaylin. Graham seeks out some guards to talk with, but is distracted by a pretty servant named Rosy. Taen, who has been posing as a child, takes the opportunity to sneak about the castle.
While on the tour, Rowen, Khabsha and Cinder notice several more secondary runes, but see no master rune. Graham doesn't learn much new from Rosy, but does learn that it is only since the Lord left that the guards have been on an arrest binge. Taen finds the dungeons and finds that they are indeed quite full. She almost gives up on finding the Dinari, but gets lucky and spots some guards leaving a separate smaller dungeon in the outer wall.
Inside, she finds Captain Coll lightly torturing the Dinari, asking him who he really is and what his business in Neued is? The Dinari isn't talking. When the Captain is interrupted to deal with another visitor from town, Taen returns to tell the others what she found.
Master Olifson tells the group that he must carefully consider what to do concerning Dags, before leaving the group to prepare for dinner.
While the group is discussing things, Taen notices a strange delay in Graham's shadow. When she mentions it to Rowen, she quickly casts a light spell and everyone tenses as Graham's shadow separates and flees the room, sliding through the crack in the door.
With this clue in mind, Taen decides to quickly explore the royal quarters, hoping to find the master rune. On her way up the stairs she sees Wicala Murin leaving Dags room with a small box in her hand, and looking suspicious. Taen decides to "shadow" the healer, and watches her enter a small unassuming door in the hallway. Following her further, she sees Murin kneeling by a big black chest in a small storage room.
When Murin begins to leave, Taen quickly flees, and then sees Murin stop in the hallway. A shadow separates from the healer, much like from Graham and flits off down the hall, quickly disappearing. Murin seems to shake her head before walking off in the opposite direction. Storing this tidbit away, Taen returns to her earlier mission.
After picking some locks and sneaking past some guards and servants, Taen finds a secret compartment in Lord Talis' bedchamber, but inside are only precious jewels, which Taen refrains from taking.
On her way back to the guest quarters, Taen checks out the small storage room. She notices a light dusting of powder on the lock to the chest. Gloved, she picks the lock but hears a scritch scratching coming from within and decides not to open it. Searching the rest of the room, she finds a secret door but isn't tall enough to open it. She returns to the others with lots of information.
The scribe, Kaylin, comes to announce that dinner is served in the great hall....
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